Suction cleaner agitator



Jan. 9, 1934- D. G. SMELLIE;

SUCTION CLEANER AGITATOR l 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 19, 1929 Jan. 9, l934 D. G. SMELLIE SUC'TION- CLEANER AGITATOR Filed .my 19, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 so'noN emanan .miraron Donald G. Smellie, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company,

a corporation' of application July 19, 192e. sei-m No. '379,412

s claims. (ci. '1s-isa)v agitating member in'which the brush members have longer life than in the usual suction cleaner rotor. A still further object is the provision '15 of an improved suction' cleaner rotor construction embodying adjustingmeans adapted to vary the eective length of the sweeping brushes. Another object is the provision of an improved rotary agitator construction in which the sweep- 90 ing brushes are easily replaceable. Other and more speciiic objects will appear upon reading the specification and upon consideration of the drawings annexed thereto.

In the drawings in which like reference charg acters refer to like parts throughout:

Figure 1 discloses a rotary agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention with certain parts broken awa Figure 2 is a cross section upontheline 2 2 of Figure 1.

.Figure 3 is a cross section upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of a tuft of bristles and the securing means used in the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the securing and adjusting wire for the tuft of bristles shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows the initial step in securing a 4o tuft of bristles in the rotor body of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 'I discloses a side elevation of a modification of the present invention with certain parts broken away.

` Figure 8 is a cross section upon the line 8--8 of Figure 7.

vFigure -9 discloses a still further embodiment of .the present invention with certain broken away. Figure 10 is a cross section upon the line.10-10 of Figure 9.

Referring now to Figure 1 in particular, an em bodiment of-the present invention is disclosed which comprises a hollow rotor body 11 which is '55 provided with individual brush. seats 12, 12,=,etc.

which extend in helical rows in opposite directions around said body from end to end thereof; the individual seats of the rows being staggered l relative to each other. Positioned approximately in the center of the body 11 is the belt-receiving pulley 13 adapted to receive a-driving beltin the operation of the rotor in a suctioncleaner to rotate said agitator. Positioned within the body member 11 and extending substantially 'the length thereof is the tubular member 14 which is nonfrotatably held relative to the body 11 bythe screw 15 which extends through said body member into said tubular member 14v and which is adapted to be seated in a plurality of seats 16, 16 upon the surface 4of said Abody member. Posi- 7o tioned-within the tubular member 14 andextending therethrough is a supporting rod 1'?.4 Body member 11' is provided near its respective ends with inwardly extending shoulders 19` which serve to support the end s of tubular member 14 'is and so maintain that me r in axial alinement and which also provide the base 20 of the bearing seat 21. A bearing 22 of any suitable design is positioned 'within the seat 21 enclosing the end of-the 'supporting member 17 in rotatable rela- 30 tion. A nut-member 23 is positioned on the threaded end 24 of member 17 andserves to,

secure bearing 22 in its seat 2'1. In the operation of the rotor in a suction cleaner the supporting member 17 is non-rotatably mounted and the rtor body 11 with the tubular body 14 rotate relative thereto upon the bearing 22.

Seated within each of the brush seats 12, 12 of the rotor body 11 are tuftsor bristles 25, 25,

etc. which are each locked within a up mem- 9o ber 26 by means of a securing wire 2 as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The wire 27 extends below the cup 26 and into the body proper 11 of the rotor in a circular groove 28 which is positioned in said body at the base of each tuft seat 12. y The wire 2'? is provided with a bent end portion 29 which is securely seated within an opening 30'in the tubular member 14. Theradial openings 30 in the tubular member 14" extendv in spiral'rows thereon having the same angle of advance as do therows of brush tuft seats 12, 12, etc. upon the body11 of the rotor.

-In the use of the rotor in a suction cleaner the length of the brush bristles decreases with wear and it becomes necessary from time to time, inf the ordinary agitating member, to replace the` bristles. In the agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention. it is only necessary when it is desired to lengthen the bristles after their eneetive lengtnhas been shortened by 11o wear, to loosen the screw 15, thereby disengaging it from one of the plurality of seats 16 on the body 1l, and to rotate the tubular member 4 advancing screw l5 to rotation ofthe tubular l14 relative to body 11 by la new seat. With the member 14 in a clockwise direction relative to the body member 11, asv shown in e 2, it is clear that the wire 27 will be projected a greater distance into the brush seat l2 resulting in the increased projection of the tuft therefrom. With bristles vadjusted to r the desired length through the rotation of the member 14 the screw 15 is tightened and the rotor is again ready for use. In the eventthat it is desired to decrease the effective length of the bristles it is only necessary to rotate the tubular member 14 in the .counter-clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 2.

The initial securing of the bristle tuft within the rotor body,

the respective wires 27, 27 attached to the tufts of bristles have been secured in their respective openings 30. the rotation of the member 14 inthe counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 6, carries the wires into the grooves 28, 28 in the body 11 and prevents the disengagement of the ends 29, 29 and the opening 80, 30, asfahown in vFigure 2.

Referring now to Figures '1 and 8 which disclose a modification of the present invention the agitator or rotor comprises `a central tubular member 31 which is provided, approximately midway of its length, with a large diameter beltreceiving pulley 32. Positioned upon the opposite sides of thel pulley 32 arev circular flanges, as indicated at 33,"for a purpose hereinafter described. Positioned within the member 31 and extending the length thereof is a supporting rod 34 upon whichV the remainder of the agitator is rotatably mounted. Positioned u pon the opposite sides of the vpulley 32 and totally. enclosing member 31 are cylindrical shells 35, 35 which form the body of the agitator and which are provided with helically `extending beater-bar projections 36, 36. Shells 35, 35 are each provided with interiorly projecting ilange 37 at their inner ends which is adapted to seat upon -the projecting flange 33 of the pulley 32. Ex-

'tending 'inwardly by the flange 33 of the from the inn/er periphery of the flange 37 of eachof the shells 35, 35 are teeth 38 adapted to mesh with teeth 39 carried tubular member 31 and prevent relative rotation therebetween. End plates 40, 40 are secured to the outer ends of each of the body shells 35, 35 and are provided with inwardly extending cylindrical portionsgis indicated at 41 ending in a shoulder 42. A reduced cylindricalportion 43 extends inwardly from the shoulder 42- into the member 3l and serves to maintain the end plate40 and the outer end of the shell 35 in axial alinement relative thereto. Positioned upon the supportingy rod 34 at the respective ends thereof are bearings '44,

.44. the outer race of which isv non-rotatably carried in the cylindrical portion `41 of the end plates 40. A nut memberl 45 secured ,at the extremity of the member 34 compresses a washer 1 46 against the bearing 44 and retains the bearing 44 in position upon said member. A spring see Figure 6, is accomplished bythe rotation o f the `tubular member 14 in thev v Longitudinally extending- 47 is positioned between the shoulder 42 of the end plate 40 and the bearing 44 which serves at all times to urge the body shell 35, through the end plate 40, in the direction of pulley 32. thereby maintaining flange 3'? and the teeth 38 carried thereby in contact with the nange 33 and the teeth 39 positioned thereon. Fixedly carried by member 31 and projecting from each shell 35 o f the body through the brush seat or opening formed by the inwardly .extending walls 48 and 49 are brushes 50, 50 secured by means 51 comprising a screw member which passes through the holder 52 of said brush 50 andinto the bodyv 31.

VThe adjustment of the effective length of a brush is accomplished by the rotation of a shell 35 relative `to the main tubular member 31. A slight longitudinal movement of the shell 35 in the direction of the end of the rotor against the action of the spring 47 disengages the coacting teeth 38 and 39 and permits relative rotational movement between itself and member 3l. The rotation of the shell 35 in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 8, results in the advance of the brush 50 49 and in an increase in the effective height of said brush above the surface of the body. Upon e the brush 50 being adjusted to the desired height above the surface of the shell 35, the -shell is .re-

between the walls 48 and 100 leased. The spring 4'? forces said shell inwardly y Q 5 rection relative to the member 31 in the man- 110 ner aforedescribed.

Referring now to Figures 9 and l0 a still further modification of the present invention is disclosed in which the rotor body 53 is rotatably carried by supporting rod 54' by means of bearings 15 55 at' the ends thereof. The rotor body is provided'with a pulley 56 near its center and with helically extending beater bars 57 on its surface. inwardly projecting walls 58 and 59 are formed in the body each side of the pulley 56 forming brush seats. Pivotally mounted within the body upon each side of the pulley by means of a supporting pin- 60 isa lever arm 61. The end of lever arm 611s provided with resilient 'which are adapted to receiveand retain the back 64`of the sweeping brush 65 and which are so 573 upon 13j) clamping jaws`62 and 63135 positioned thatwith the member 64 seated within said jaws the brush 65 is adapted to project between the walls 58 and l face of the shell 53./ The variation in the effective length of the brush 65 above thesurface oi' the body 53 of the rotor isaccomplished through the pivoting of lever arm 61 about the point 60 by 59 and beyond the sur- '30 means of the internally threaded adjustment member.66 which is vconnected 6'1 and which is adapted to be advanced and retracted by screw member 68' extendingtherein. Screw member 68 is rotatably mounted in the to the arm 61 at shell 53 with its head positioned within a de- L40 pressed seat 69 in the surfacethereof. vIt is only necessary when it is desired to 'adjust either brush 65, winch must project a distance above the rotor body equal to or slightly greater than the height of beaterbars 5v in oder to be effective, to turn '145 the vscrew l68 which' is positioned on the same side of the pulley'with said brush. f

It should also be pointed out that the arrangement of the supporting lever arm 61 and the mem bers 66 and 68 in circumferentially-spaced posi- 156 I y noemer tions from the brush and 'its seat m the agitator brush at an angleto the radius of the agitator makes possible the use oi' a longer brush resulting in longer life and the ability to provide a greater length of unsupported bristles, ya very desirable characteristic particularly when the agitator is of a relatively small diameter. y

I claimr- 1. In a suction' cleaner agitator, a 'rotatable hollow closed main body, re-entrant walls in said body forming a brush seat, a brush positioned in said brush seat, retaining means for said brush and'means to adjust the position of said retaining V means relative to said brush seat comprising a lever arm pivoted in said body and attached to said retaining "means, and means operable from the exterior of said body to pivot said lever arm about its pivot point.

2. In a suction cleaner, agitator, `a rotatable and enclosed main-body,re'-entrant walls in said main'body forming a brush seat, a brush positioned in said brush seat, retaining means for said brush and means to-adjust the position of said retaining means relative to said brush seat comprising a lever arm pivoted to said body and attached to said retaining means, an internallyA threaded' member hingedly carried by said pivoted lever and an externally threaded member rotatably mounted in said main body and positioned within said internally threaded memben, I i.

3. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a

` hollow body, a brush seat `formed in said body,

a brush in said seat, retaining means for said brush, and means to yadjust the position of said retaining means relative to characterized by the fact that a part of said positioning means is spaced circumferentially from I said brush and brush'seat for the purpose of dynamically balancing said agitator.

l4. In a rotary agitator for a hollow suction cleaner, a rotary body, a shaft rotatably supporting said body and extended therethrough, an elongated inwardly extending brush seat in said body, and an elongated brush having a rigid back positioned-in said brush seatand extended inwardly to the side of said shaft.

said brush seat,

5. In a suction cleaner, a cylindrical revolubly mounted body, a supporting shaft extending l o through said body, saidvbody having a relativelydeep channel formed in its periphery, and a brush mounted in saidchannel so that a sub-` stantial part thereof is located below the periphery of said body to render said brush practically non-fouling, characterized by the fact that said brush lies at an angle to the normal to the surface of said body at the point at which it extends y therethrough and extends inwardly to a position at the side of said shaft.

6; In a rotary agitator, an exterior hollow body formed with a brush channel leading from its interior to its exterior,` an elongated member positioned'in said body, means to secure said `body in one of a plurality of angularly spacedcircumferential positions relative to said member, a brush connected to the periphery of said member and extended through said channeltbeing adapted to be positioned therein by changes in the relative positions of said body and said mein-V ber, andmeans to rotatably support said agitator.

7. In a rotary agitator, an exterior hollow body having a brush channel leading fromv its interior to its exterior, an interior member within said body adapted to be moved\axial1y and rotated relative to said body', circumferentially extending intermeshing gear teeth on said body and on said member, a brushk connected to the exterior of said member and positioned in said channel, and means to resistingly oppose relative axial movement between said body and said member, characterized by the fact that under an axial force said means can-be overcome to permit the relative lrotation of said body and said member to accomplish the adjustment of th'e brush in said channel.

8. In a rotary suction cleaner agitatona body having a brushl seat, a brush movably positioned in said brush seat, a central member in said body adapted to be rotated relative thereto, said member being fixedly connected to said brush; and means to prevent unintended movement of said body relative to said member, characterized bythe fact that' the rotation of said body relative to said-member varies the distance from said seat to" the point of connection of said brush to in said seat. o DONALD G. SMELLIE. 

